GRC Training: on finding inspiration and muddling through

If you've read any of my recent posts about training for the GORUCK Challenge, you know that for the last month I've been struggling with a knee injury and feeling pretty low about my progress. Not too much has changed in the last couple of weeks, but I finally got in to see a physical therapist on Monday, who identified some biomechanical problems with my stride and got me started on a regimen of exercises and stretches to correct them. That's given me a more constructive outlet for my frustration -- I can at least focus on doing these exercises that someone knowledgeable thinks will help.

This morning I managed to do back-to-back 2-mile run/walks with 4 bricks in my pack by limiting my running to 2 minutes at a time. Even in short spurts, running on the slightest, slightest downhill grade would start to make the knee hurt. Not a lot, but enough that if I were to continue beyond 2 minutes it would probably get worse. Now that it's over, I can't descend stairs without pain, despite three rounds of ice. I'm just not making progress nearly as fast as I want to.

Thrice Denied, Feeling Dark.

It's a dark time in my GORUCK Challenge training. It's been two weeks since a knee problem cut my long run short, and I'm frustrated beyond words. I've done everything I know how to do to help the knee recover. Rest, ice, anti-inflammatory meds, stretching, exercises for my glutes and stabilizer muscles, but I don't feel like I'm making any progress. I've gone through three cycles now where I rest and pamper the knee for 4-5 days then go on a short run with no weight to try to work back into running. Every time, I've started out feeling good, but had to stop after 1.5 - 2 miles due to the pain coming back. Each time that happens, it flares up for a few days and puts me into another cycle of rest and attempted recovery.

I had no idea that I would miss running this much! I've done more running in last couple of months than any other point in my life, and to suddenly have to cut it out of my routine, even for a week or two, is driving me crazy. I've tried to substitute other cardio workouts -- I had no problems doing a spin class and a stairmaster workout with my pack on -- but they just aren't the same. And I can tell Lola is missing it too. She's gotten noticeably more rambunctious in the house. Sometimes when I'm putting my shoes on she gives me this look that says "why aren't you taking me running?"

But by far the worst part of all this is the psychological blow it's dealt to my training. Up until that fateful run, I felt strong, resilient, tough, and fundamentally prepared to confront all sorts of physical challenges. I trusted my body. That's all come crashing down. Now I feel fragile. Every time I push myself in training (even lifting weights), I'm haunted by the prospect that some part of me is going to fail, cause an injury, and destroy my hopes of completing the GORUCK.

In a lot of ways, this is excellent mental preparation for the Challenge. This knee problem was an unexpected setback that has completely wrecked my training schedule. Somehow, someway, I've got to find a way to overcome it in time for the Challenge. I'm sure being able to roll with the punches will help me during the GRC, but getting to that point is proving really difficult. I think in my mind, ruck runs have become synonymous with preparation for the Challenge. Every day that I can't do them feels wasted. Never mind that I'm still lifting weights, doing stability and other cardio exercises, and bear crawling and crab walking across the backyard.

Accepting the fact that I have to scale back the running for a while is forcing me to reassess my training program. Maybe this knee problem is God's way of telling me that I need to focus more on my strength training; that in fact I'm well-prepared for the running bits. I'm trying to take comfort in that thought, and maybe if I can re-vamp my training plan I'll feel more like I'm still making progress.

But Lola's still looking at me, wanting to run.

 

Note: this post was written in mid-January 2012 (when I launched my blog), but is back-dated to reflect the journey I've been on as I train for the GORUCK Challenge.

A setback at New Year’s

Suddenly my training for the GORUCK Challenge has come to a screeching halt. All the optimism, confidence, and positivity I was feeling about my progress so far is gone.

Joy

Before the holidays I ran a personal-best 8-mile long run with a 20-lb pack. I took about a week off from any serious training, and then worked back into running with a 3-miler (no weight), then back-to-back 3-milers with weight a few days later. Then, on New Year's Day, I headed out for my long run, ready to reach for 90 minutes -- about 10 minutes longer than my previous long run.

I knew this would be a stretch, so I planned to take a generous 5+ minute break in the middle to loosen up the legs and scarf an energy bar or something. The first half of the run went pretty well, and started to feel even better after starting the return leg. Even after an hour of running my legs felt powerful and I was maintaining or maybe even increasing my pace. The weather was gorgeous, Lola was behaving herself, and I felt fantastic.

Pain

Then, at about mile 7, I got a dull burning pain on the outside of my left knee. It felt like IT band syndrome, which is something I struggled with in my right knee years ago but hasn't bothered me since. When it first struck my right knee, I didn't know what it was or how to treat it, and it took me months to recover and be able to run pain-free. Every time I thought I had rested and recovered enough, I'd try to run only to have the pain start again.

I knew better than to try to run through it. As I slowed to a walk there on the trail I felt my entire training plan collapsing. If I couldn't keep up the running schedule then I couldn't make it to my preparation goal - a 15-miler - in time for the challenge. I forced myself to walk for about a mile to let the knee calm down. Afterward I was able to jog the final 3/4 of a mile without pain.

Anger

But as I made my way back to the car those last two miles, the frustration just boiled inside me. I'd been careful to specifically do things to avoid this kind of injury (since it happened to me before). I use a foam roller to stretch my IT bands several times a week, built up my pack weight and mileage slowly, switched to a more flat-footed or "minimal" running style to ease the impact on my joints, and even do weekly exercises that are supposed to target knee stabilizer muscles. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!

As soon as I got home I hit the knee with some RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and Aleve to try to keep any inflammation in check. I'm just praying that it doesn't take months to get back to 100% like it did when this happened to my other knee. This has really thrown me for a loop psychologically. To have this happen at a time when I'm focusing so hard on fitness, achieving personal bests every week, and feeling strong just feels like some kind of betrayal.

I'm trying to stay positive, but it's pretty tough right now. To be fair, the pain wasn't bad, and I was able to run for a bit after my walk break without it hurting. Maybe this time the problem will be short lived. It's got to be.

 

Note: this post was written in mid-January 2012 (when I launched my blog), but is back-dated to reflect the journey I've been on as I train for the GORUCK Challenge.